Film-winder.



E. A. BIRGHER.

FILM WINDER;

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1909.

Patented June 7, 1910.

ANDREW a GRAHAM C0. PHOTO LITKOGRAPHERS wASmNGTcN. u, a

UN rain earns E Enron.

EUGENE .A. BIRCI-IER, or EocHEsTEE, NEw YORK, AssrGNoE TO srEPHEN n.KENDALL,

' 0E EocnEsrEa, NEW YORK.

FILM-WINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June *7, 1910.

Application filed November 20, 1909. Serial No. 529,064.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE A. BIRCHER, of Rochester, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Film-finders, which improvement is fully set forth in the followingspecification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in film,windersor reels or spools designed primarily for use in connection withfilms such as are employed in moving picture machines, although, ofcourse, applicable to other uses.

It has for its objects among others to pro- .vide a simple and efficientfilm winder or reel composed entirely of metal, light, durable and bytheemployment of which the film may be wound onto the hub when turned ineither direction, as cirmimstances may require.

It has for a further object to provide a reel having its hub soconnected with the outside port-ions or heads as to leave the twooutside surfaces of the latter perfectly smooth,

I provide a central axial sleeve held to the opposite heads of the reel,so as to pre vent endwise movement thereof and form said sleeve with aside projection adapted to receive a spline or the like on the shaftupon which the reel is designed to be moved, so as to prevent itsturning upon the shaft. The hub is provided interiorly with a springdisposed opposite the oppositely extending tongues, beneath which latterthe ends of the films are to be engaged and firmly held.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appearand the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part ofthis specification, and in which Figure 1 is a face view of my improvedreel. Fig. 2 is a central cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1,looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a cross sectionthrough the hub, as on the line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the directionof the arrows. Fig. 4: is a side elevation of the hub. Fig. 5 is aslightly enlarged sectional detail which will be more particularlyreferred to.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the differentviews.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a pair of circular members,preferably of steel, provided with openings 2 for the sake of lightness.These may be of any desired di ameter and of a thickness sufiicient togive them the rigidity necessary. These members or plates 1 are spacedapart and held in proper parallel relation by means of a hub which, asseen in Figs. 3 and 4, is formed of a sheet of metal, preferably steel,bent to a circular form. This hub 3 comprises a body portion having twotongues 4: with their free ends turned in opposite directions so thatthe film may be wound onto the hub when turned in either direction,according to circumstances. In order to form these winding passedthrough the slots in the plates or members 1, when assembling the parts,the hub is held rigidly in place, and also the two plates or members 1.This leaves the outer surfaces of the two plates or members 1 perfectlysmooth, as will be seen clearly in Fig. 2, so that there is noprojecting part to catch into or interfere with the proper use of thereel. Fig. 5 indicates more clearly the evenness or smooth outersurfaces of the plate after the hub has been thus secured in position.The adjacent ends of the material forming the hub need not be secured atthe joint 8 as the resiliency of the metal is sufficient to hold themtogether and, furthermore, the affixing of the hub to the plates ormembers 1 insures rigidity of the parts.

9 is a spring held in place by a rivet or the like 10 within the hub anddesigned to act outwardly against the elastic tongues 4: under which theend of the film to be wound is inserted for holding it in place. Theends of this spring overlap the end walls of the slots or spaces formedby the cutting away of the material to produce the tongues, as isevident from Fig. 3.

11 is the central axial sleeve. It is passed through Correspondingopenings at the center of the members 1 and 1s slightly spread out atits ends, as seen at 12, by any suitable means, as by the tapping of thesame with ahammer, just sufliciently to hold it at each end upon theplates 1, so that it will not move endwise out of place. This is formedof a single piece of metal, preferably steel, punched out and then bentinto the requisite form, producing a side projection 13 of less diameterthan the main portion of the sleeve, as seen clearly in Figs. 1 and 3,this extension or side projection 13 extending the en tire length of thesleeve and serving to receive a spline or longitudinal projecting partof the shaft upon which the reel or device is mounted, to prevent theturning of the reel upon the shaft.

The device above described can be cheaply and readily constructed, theparts being all stamped out with the openings punched out by means ofsuitable dies. The parts are all alike and may be punched out inquantities from sheets of steel and the parts readily assembled to formthe completed reel. The mode of use will be apparent; the end of thefilm is inserted under one or the other of the tongues 4 and the outwardpressure of the spring, together with the inward pressure of the springtongue, serves to firmly hold the film in place. The oppositelyextending tongues permit of the application of the film to either side,as circumstances may require.

Modifications in details may be resorted to without departing from thespirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What I claim as new is 1. A reel or film winder comprising oppositeplates and a central hub interposed therebetween and secured theretowith the outer faces of the plates smooth, said hub provided with anopening and a correspond ing tongue, and a spring upon the interior ofthe hub.

2. A reel or film winder comprising opposite plates, a central hubinterposed there between and secured thereto with the outer faces of theplates smooth, the hub being formed with a slot and a tongue, and aspring upon the interior of the hub opposite said tongue. 1

3. A reel or film winder comprising opposite plates and a central hubinterposed therebetween and secured thereto with the outer faces of theplates smooth, the hub having slots and being formed with oppositelydisposed spring tongues, and a spring ring within the hub havingportions opposite said tongues.

4. A reel or film winder comprising opposite plates and a central hubinterposed therebctween and secured thereto with the outer faces of theplates smooth, the hub being formed with slots and oppositely disposedspring tongues, and a spring within the hub disposed opposite saidtongues.

5. A reel or film winder composed entirely of metal parts and embodyingseparated plates, a central hub uniting said plates and provided withslots and spring tongues oppositely disposed, a spring within the hubopposite said tongues, and an axial sleeve having a laterally projectingpart to engage the spline on a shaft.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day ofNovember, 1909, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EUGENE A. BIRCHER.

WVitnesses:

E. B. WVHrrMonn, A. M. lVIIrrMoRE.

